Combination adjustable straight stream and fog nozzle



May 17, 1960 COMBINATION ADJUSTABLE STRAIGHT STREAM AND FOG NOZZLE FiledJan. 7, 1959 W. S. THOMPSON SMM COMBINATION ADJUSTABLE STRAIGHT STREAM 7AND FOG NOZZLE Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Elkhart William S. Thompson,

Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Brass Mfg. Co., Inc., IndianaApplication January 7, 1959, Serial No. 785,380 2 Claims. (Cl. 239-458)This invention relates to fire fighting apparatus and refers moreparticularly to fire hose nozzles of the peripheral jet type capable ofdelivering either a solid stream or a fine fog-like spray.

Combination straight stream-fog nozzles heretofore available for firefighting have been adjustable to provide a dog spray of various anglesor a straight stream having a predetermined discharge rate, but in theirstraight stream discharge positions they have not been adjustable toafford different rates of output. Moreover, such combination straightstream-fog nozzles heretofore available for use on 2 /2 in. handlineshave not beencapable of discharging 250 g.p.m. in their straight streamposition of adjustment. This was a serious disadvantage because it is anunderwriters requirement that every piece of fire fighting apparatuscarry one nozzle capable of discharging 250 g.p.m. in a straight streamfor each 250 g.p.m. of pumper capacity. For example, with availablepumping capacity of 1,000 g.p.m. fire trucks have heretofore had tocarry four straight stream nozzles in addition to any combinationstraight stream-fog nozzles they were equipped with.

The 250 g.p.m. straight stream nozzlesheretofore employed were suppliedwith interchangeable tips of various size and rate capacities in orderto meet various conditions and situations encountered in fire fighting.For example, if a drop in water flow rate occurred, due to additionalpumpers being connected to the fire main or additional lines being laidfrom the source pumper, or if there was a substantial change in fireintensity, the nozzleman had to shut down his hose and return to thetruck for a different nozzle tip. The usual assortment of straightstream nozzle tips carried on a fire truckincluded nozzles having in., 1in., and 1 /8 in. outlets.

From the above, it will be readily appreciated that it' was heretoforenot only necessary to provide fire fighting trucks with a multiplicityof nozzles of various sizes, but that the practice of shutting downhoses in order to change nozzle tips in accordance with varying conditions was particularly objectionable.

With these disadvantages of prior fire fighting nozzles in mind, it is ageneral object of the present invention to provide a versatile. firehose nozzle which, in a size adapted for installation on a 2 /2 in. handline, not only provides straight stream flow at an acceptably highdisfighting apparatus which is-adjustable to provide, in addition tovarious fog sprays, straight stream discharge at adjustably variablerates ranging from complete shutoil to the maximum required straightstream discharge rate.

It isthus another general object of this invention to proice vide a firehose nozzle of the character described which thenozzleman can veryreadily adjust, during use of the nozzle, to meet any of a wide varietyof fire fighting situations and conditions.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a fire hosenozzle of the type which is adjustable to provide an off position, and aplurality of straight stream and fog positions, wherein the memberscomprising the nozzle-are so proportioned as to insurethe versatilitydescribed in the preceding statements of object.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a combination straightstream-fog nozzle of the character described wherein change in theadjustment of the nozzle from a full straightstream position to a fogposition results in a flow rate increase of less than ten percent, so

that the pressure at the pumper does not vary so much asto necessitateany change in pump operation when the nozzle is so adjusted.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come "within the scope of theclaims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example .of thephysical embodiment of the invention con structed according to the bestmode so far devised for the practical. application of the principlesthereof, and,

in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly inlongitudinalsection, showing a fire hose nozzle embodyingthe principles of thisinvention, with the nozzle adjusted to its oil position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to ing the nozzleadjusted to give a straight stream output of maximum rate; t Figure 5 isa view similar to'Figure 4 but showing the nozzle adjusted to provide afog spray having a 30 angle-of dispersal; Figure 6 is a view similar toFigure 5 but showing the nozzle adjusted to provide a fog spray havingan angle of dispersal of about 90 and Figure 7 is a diagrammatic Viewshowing the dimenof this invention, and of a size adaptable forconnectionv to a 2 /2 in. hand line. The nozzle comprises, in general, abody provided by concentric inner and outer inlet and outlet members 6and 7, respectively, of tubular construction, and a mushroom shapedvalve element 8 carried by the inlet member 6 and cooperating withtheoutlet member 7 to determine the output characteristics of thenozzle. I 1

As is conventional, the inlet member 6 has a screw threaded counterborein its rear to enable a fire hose to be connected thereto, and a coarseexternal thread 9" on the front portion of the inlet member cooperateswith a but showing the matinginternalthread ina medial portionof theoutlet member 7 to provide for shifting the outlet member 7 axiallyforwardly or rearwardly relative to the inlet memberas, a consequence ofrotation of the outlet mem:

4 Fixed inthezfront portionof the inlet member is a' spider by whichthe,valve element 8 is coaxially supportedwith'its stem 16 anchored in thehub 17 of the,

The stem projects forwardly through the. re

spider.- stricted passage 13 in the valve seat todispose the head 18 ofthe valve in the outlet throat 11 where it determines the differenttypes of discharge upon rotation of the outlet member from one positionto another relative to the inlet member,

The outlet throat 11 in the front portion of the outlet.

member is provided by a uniform diameter bore of. substantially greaterlength than the corresponding outlet.

portions of prior fog nozzles. The inlet to the throat, of course, isdefined by the restricted passage 13 in the annular, valve seat 14, thelatter beingvformed integrally with the outlet member and beingengageable by the head 18 of the valve element to block flow of waterinto the throat when the outlet member is moved to its most forward orotf position, shown in Figure 1.

Adjustment of the nozzle of this invention to provide a wide range ofstraight stream output rates is provided for by reason ofthe'substantial length of the throat of the outlet member, in front ofthe valve seat 14.. As the outlet member is moved rearwardly relative tothe head 180i the valve element by relative rotation of the body membersaway from the off position, through the successive positions shown inFigures 2, 3 and 4, the throat provides for increasing rates of straightstream output up to the point where the front face of the valve elementhead is nearly even with the front end of the uniform diameter borethatdefines the throat. Thereafter further rearward movement of theoutlet member relative to the valve, to a position (shown in Figure 5)in which the widely divergent mouth at the front end portion of theoutlet member is substantially in radial alignment with the valve head,adjusts the nozzle for a fog spray outpu't having a relatively narrowangle of divergence, on the order of'30 In the most rearward position ofthe inlet member, shown-in Figure 6, the valve element head is projectedslightly forwardly out of the mouth of the nozzle, and itsoutput takesthe form of a fog spray having a substantially wide angle of divergence,in the neighborhood of 90.

The two fog spray positions are conventional, as is the manner in whichthe valve element head cooperates with the front end portion of theoutlet member to provide these two types of fog discharge; Alsoconventional are the tooth-like deflectors 20 around the mouth' of thenozzie, by which the stream issuing from the nozzle in its --fogpositions is partially broken up and deflected radiallyinwardly so thatthe cone of fog spray produced by the nozzle has a substantiallyuniform-intensity across its entire cross-sectional area.

Thehigh output capacity" of 250 g.p.rn. inthe straight stream conditionill'ustr'ated'in Figure 4 is-achieved in a 2 in. hand line nozzleembodying the principles of this invention by reason ofthe proportioningof the throat 11, the ;'valve-- element head '18 and the inlet orifice13; and the, relationshipof these elements'also accounts for:the'wide-range ofadjustabilit-y of-the dischargerate of bit the uniformdiameter bore providing the throat 11 should have an axiallength whichis at least equal to the radius of the head 18 of the valve element plusthe axial dimension or thickness of the valve. head. The length of thethroat should also be equal to at least five times theradialdistancebetween the periphery of the valve elementhead and thewallof the throat. that with this dimensional relationship, the head 18 canhave a substantial amount of relative travel along the throat, through awide rangeof positions in, which a straight stream discharge isproduced, each position of the valve head producing a diiferentdischarge rate and the lowest rates of discharge occurring when thevalve element head is nearest .its. seat 14.

It is also important that the effective area of the throat besubstantially less than the efiective area of the inlet 13 to thethroat; that is, the area of the annular space between the periphery ofthe valve head 18 and the ,wall

ofthe throat should be at least about 80% of the area, of the annularspace between the valve element stem 16 andv the wall of the restriction13.-

Referring to the Figure 7 diagram, if

L=length of throat r =radius of throat bore r =radius ofrestrictedthroat inlet s=radius of valve stem t=thickness of valve head h=radiusof valve head' then:

L=or h +1! and Awcontributing factor'to thev versatility and superiorperformance of the valve, of this invention is the SllbStflH-,

.The. .diameter.,of the orifice 13 defining the inlet to the throat was1 and the stem 16 of the valve element With these proportionslit will aninfinity of adjustments between those limits being avaiiable'. However,it may be desirable to define positions at which the outputs of thenozzle correspond to those of /8 in, 1 in. and 1 /8 in. straight streamnozzles, so that the nozzle man, when making adjustments, will have aready standard of reference with which he is familiar. In that case, afinger 24 mounted on the rear of the iuiet member 6, with its free endbearing upon the exterior of the outlet member 7 may be cooperable withindicia; thereon, or with a combination of :indicia and detent definingmeans (not shown) on the outlet member to precisely indicate to thenozzle man when any of the aforementioned settings have beenattained.

lt'wasalso'found that witha nozzlehaving the dimensions described,change in the nozzle adjustment from the nominal 1% in. straight streamposition to the 30 It will beseen fog position resulted in an increaseof only about 10% inthe rate of output, as compared with previous fognozzles in which the output rate usually objectionably increased byabout 25% whenthe nozzle was shifted the accompanying drawings it willbe apparent that this invention provides a fog nozzle for fire fightingequipment which is unusually versatile because it provides not only thefog spray adjustments heretofore found on fog adjustments correspondingto'those of various standard straight stream outlet nozzles, thuseliminating the need for carrying a number of other nozzles on a firetruck equipped with the nozzle of this invention.

What I claim as my invention is: p

1. A fire hose nozzle of thetype which is adjustable to provide either afog spray or a straight stream and comprising a mushroomshaped valveelement, having a stem and an enlarged head on the outer end ofthe stem,

a valve seat engageable with the head of-the valve ele --ment in oneposition of axial adjustment of the tubular nozzles, but also provides anumber of straight stream a member to block flow of water into thethroat portion,

the stem of the valve element passing throughsaid restricted boreportion: said fire hose nozzle being characterizerl by the fact that itsthroat portion is provided by a uniform diameter bore, and the length ofsaid throat portion is not less than the radius of the head of the valveelement plus the axial Ithickness of the head; said-fire hose nozzlebeing further characterized by the fact that with the valve unseated thearea of the annular space between the wall of the throat bore and thehead of the valve element is equal to approximately 85% of the area 'ofthe annular space between the valve stem and the wall of the restrictedinlet to the throat portion. 7

2. The fire hose nozzle of claim 1, further characterized by a concavefillet connecting the rear of the valve element head with the stem 'ofthe valve element, said fillet having a radius of curvaturesubstantially equal to the radius of the valve element headless that ofthe valve element stem.

a tubular member which is axiallyadjustable relative to the head of thevalve element, said tubular; member having a concentric throat portionat itsfront in which the head of the valve element is coaxiallydisposed, and a coaxial restricted bore portion spaced from its frontenddefining the inlet to said throat portion and providing ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,044,445 Priceet al. June 16, 1936 2,089,304 Stein Aug.'10, 1937 2,568,515 ScheiwerSept. 18, 1951 2,'816,800 Russell Dec. 17, 1957 FOREIGN :PATENTS- 542,79 Great Britain Ian. 27, 1942 545,653

Great Britain June 5, 1942

